Fruit-grader.



W. C. ANDERSON.

FRUIT GBADBR. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 9, 1908.

91 6,647, Patented Mar. 30, 1909.

2 SHEETSSHIIET 1.

IN VEN TOR WITNESSES. M' M flw Mrm W. G. ANDERSON.

FRUIT GRADER. ABPLIOATIONIILED MAR. a, 1908.

91 6,647, V v Patented Mar, 30, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

JNVENTOR. WITNESSES. jig/"4W W M a 40% W M novel construction of 'the NI ED stra ns-PATENT orrion.

WILLIAM G. ANDERSON, OF SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGN OR TO ANDERSON-BARNGROVER 00., OF SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

- FRUIT-GRADER.

tatable rolls having grading spaces between.

them, are employed.

.' 'Ihe objects of my invention are to provide a grading-table of this type, adapted to separate the material efiectively and without in ury, and to provide aneflecti've feed for the material to said table.

' 'To these ends my invention consists in the grading-table, in the novel means for feedmg the material thereto, and in the arrangement and combi- 1 nation of parts which I shall now 'fully describe, by reference tothe accompanying drawings in which, I

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my fruitgrader. 'F i 2 is a section of two pairs of grading-r0 s, on. the line m'w of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 1s a plan of the fruit-grader. Fig. 4 is a detail view showinga modified pair of" grading rolls.

1 is, a stand which carries, at its head, a suitable feeding device, here shown as com-.

On the stand'l is the inclined grading-- table, which consists of a frame 5 and the grading-rolls 6 mounted in the frame. These rolls lie lengthwise ofthe stand, at a downward inclination and parallel with each other. Each roll has a smooth surface throughout, and each is divided into sections of successively decreasing diameters, the largest diameter being at the head and the smallest at the foot. The rolls are arranged .to leave grading-spaces 7 only between suc- Specification of Letters- Patent.

- Application filed March 9, 1908. Serial No. 419,892.

frece tacles 9, to catch the graded fruit.

For illus- Patented March 30, 1909.

cessive' pairs, that is to say, a grading-space is left between the first and second rolls, a second grading-space is left between the third and fourth rolls,-a third space between the fifth and sixth rolls, and soon. The.

spaces or intervals between adjacent rolls of adjacent pairs, indicated by 8, are non-grading intervals. The members of each pair, that is, the rolls which bound the gradingspace, rotate, in their upper semi-circumference, away from each other, as shown by the arrows in F ig.,2. Under the grading-table,

beneath each grading section, are suitabie r t the footof the feeding device is the delivery board 10, with guide flanges 11 to direct the fruit from the belts 3 to the head of the grading-table. 'Ihenon-gradin intervals 8between the rolls must besuita ly covered. attheir head ends, so that the fruit. shall be excluded from them. In this connection, to serve not only this purpose of covering the non-gradmg 1ntervals, but also to make a-inore effective dehvery to the gradlng-sp'aces '7, I

" have alseries of-short delivery belts 12, which travel crosswise or transversely of the rolls.

Each belt 12 is mounted on the head end of forms the wall 0." the next grading-space,

and is mounted on a short spindle 13 which lies above said roll, said spindle being mounted in a super-frameM rising from the tableframe 5. From this spindle 13 the delivery belt 12 passes on its lower course over the top of the'roll just below and back again to the first roll.

In order to preserve the continuity of the rolls and grading-spaces, the first delivery belt. 12, as shown in Fig. 3, is mounted on and is driven by a short supplementary roll 6. The position of the spindle 13 is such that the fruit, fed from the board 10' to the belt 12, which travels by the rotation of the grading-rolls, will be delivered sidewise to the'head of the grading space. The deliv ery belts so arranged, make an cllicicnt vteed ill) spaces, the tendency of momentum being'to cause the fruit to ride over and pass its ap propriate grading opening; whereas, by the side deliveryof the belts 12, the discharge into the head of t l1e'gradi1w'space is without impetus, and the snial er sizes have a .chance to pass through. For the larger fruit, such as pears, apricots and peachesespecially when lialyed, as they-usually are preparatory to canning, the delivery belts 12 are peculiarly effective, in @th'atthey cause. the fruit to turn on end as it drops from the belt to the grading space. llalved peaches, comingv from thelioppers will lie flat on the feeding device, whether this be ashaking table-.or' a traveling carrier; ,I'f'delivered di-.

rectly to the grading-space, the halves would belt, theyup-e'nd and-are so delivered to the grading'spacei To prevent the fruit from following around the head of the belt 12 and bein caught in the roll below, there is a fixe shield 15, preferably of hard rubber, lyi'ngback of the spindle l3 and the roll, as

shown in'Fig. 2. Thisinsures the release of the sticky fruit from the belt.-

The rolls 6 of' the grading-table are driven" by gears 16 ontheir spindles 1'7, from a shaft 18 suitably connected with one of said spindles, say, the middle one- Theother or-head end ofthis spindle is extended and carries a .wo'rm 19 which meshes with'a worm gear 20 driven.

on the roller :21 upon which the main feed belts 3 are mounted, whereby said belts are ;With the smallerandrounder fruits, such asolives, cherries and grapes, it will be of advantage to modifythe head endof the grading spaces as I show in Fig. l. Here,

the first section of the rolls 6 is made conical,

instead of cylindrical, the smaller end being at the head and the larger end at the foot of said section. Theobject sought by this is to str ng out the fruit in single tile. The fruit being small tends tobunch and the individuals ride up on each other. This, in part, is avoided by the inclination, of'the table, but

not wholly. WVit'h thisconicai construction, however, the head section ofthe roll has an increasing peripheral speed toward-its'lower end, which serves tdstrihg'the fruit out in single file, one layer thick, so that it will not climb out and ride over the rolls; and once strung out,'it will remainsothroughout its travel over the table. The grading-rolls 6, having smooth surfaces,permit the'fruit to move down the incline,.without.the aid of any helical-1y directed, or other devices, at-

tached to them, and without injury.

pass over the end. "as, however, the

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. Ina fruit-grader, a grading-table composed of parallel," smooth-surfaced, inclined, rotatable rolls, each formed with sections of successively decreasing diameters from their upper to their lower ends, forming be-- tween. said rolls'Qa. "series .of graduated grading-spaces,tlre head sections only of said rolls being conical ;with the smaller diameter at the top. andthe larger diameter at the foot ofysaid head sections.

- 2. In a fruitrader,;a grading-table composed of' paral'el, rotatable rolls with an intervenin gradingspace varying in width from him to, foot, in combination with means for delivering the fruit to the head ends of said-spaces in a direction crosswise thereof. v

a fruit-grader, a grading-table co1nwith graduated grading-spaces between each pair of rolls and non-grading intervals between the adjacent rolls of adjacent pairs, in combination with means for delivering the fruit to the head ends of said gradingspaces in a direction crosswise thereof, and 'means for excluding the fruit from the head ends of the non-grading intervals.

, 4. In afruitegradeiya grading-table composed of'paralleh'rotatable rolls with an intervening,gradingspace varying in width. from head-t0 foot, incombination with a traveling deliverybelt at the head of and moving transversely to the length of said grading space afid adapted to deliver the from the side thereof.

In a fruit-grader, a. rading-table composed of a series of para lel, rotatable rolls pair of rolls and non-grading intervals between adjacent rolls of adjacent pairs, in combination with traveling delivery belts traversing and covering the head ends of the non-gradin intervals, and arranged to deliver the fruit to the head ends of the grading-spaces, from the side thereof.

6. In a fruit-grader, a grading-table com posed'of a series of parallel, rotatable rolls tween adjacent rolls of adjacent pairs, in

traversing and'covering the head ends of fthe non gra'ding intervals, and arranged to deliver the tojthe head ends of the gradin-g' spacesgfrom the side thereof, and afeeder for supplying the fruit to said delivery belts.

7 In a fruit-grader, a 'adingtable composed of a series of para lel, rotatable rolls with graduated grading-spaces between each Having thus described my invention. what with graduated grading spaces between each with graduated grading-spaces between each pair of rolls andnon-grading intervals be combination with, traveling delivery belts pair of rolls and non-grading intervals beposed of a series of parallel, rotatable rolls fr it to the head end of the g p tween ialjacent rolls of adjacent pairs, in In testimony whereof I have signed my combination with delivery belts mounted name to this specification in the presence of 19 Y at the heads of said rolls and driven thereby, two subscribing Witnesses.

said belts bein dis osed to traverse and T 3 cover the head ends df the non-grading in- VILLIAM AL DERSON" te-rvals and to deliver the fruit to the head Witnesses: 1 ends of the grading spaces, from the side VVM, F. BOOTH,

thereof. D. B. RICHARDS. 

